Signature gathering and stapling machine



May 31, 1955 J. KLEINBERG SIGNATURE GATHERING AND STAPLING MACHINE Filed April 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet lv @AA/Qubvv/ #fram/sys May 3l, 1955 J. KLEINBERG SIGNATURE GATHERING AND STAPLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet I2 Filed April 28, 1954 J y MB R V N M. ma r M K M SEGNLTURE GATHERING AND STAPLING MACHINE .tack Kleinberg, Minneapolis, Minn. Application April 2S, 1954, Serial No. 426,126 Claims. (Cl. 27-53) lri y invention relates generally to improvements in machines for collating or gathering printed sheets of material in order that they may be formed into booklets, pamphlets and the like, and such machines are now widely used in the production of sales literature, mimeographed forms, instruction booklets and the like.

There are many machines for this purpose which collect single sheets of material in proper order, but it is the primary object of my invention to provide a machine uy the use of which pre-folded sheets may be collated in a predetermined numerical sequence in order to assemble them into a booklet or pamphlet, and then automatically staple the sheets together so that once the machine has completed its function the booklets or pamphlets are ready for use. To this end the machine according to my invention comprises a plurality of supply stations in which stacks of the prefolded sheets are placed in proper sequence and a reciprocating pick-up carriage, with mechanism causing the same to travel a path which traverses all of said supply stations. Each pre-folded sheet in the supply stations consists of two pages connected together by a fold or bight portion and the machine of my invention further includes means which will engage one page of each sheet in the said stations to partially open the folded sheets so that the carriage, as it travels, will enter between the individual pages to engage and carry along the sheets, with the leading edge of the carriage in contact with the inner surfaces of said bight portions. Thus as the carriage makes one complete pass across all of the supply stations, it will collect the pre-folded sheets in the proper sequence, and I also provide means, operative as the carriage reaches the end of this work stroke, to automatically staple these collated sheets together. Following this operation the carriage reverses its direction of travel, ready for the next working stroke, and as it does so a stripping element strips the collected and completed stapled booklet or pamphlet from the carriage and there is provided an accumulating station into which these completed parts may fall for subsequent removal as necessary. Thus it will be seen that only one operator is necessary for the operation of the collator of my invention in order to maintain supplies of the pre-folded sheets in the various supply stations and to remove the completed booklets and, furthermore, the operation of the machine being otherwise entirely automatic no particular skill is required upon the part of the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine for this purpose which is, by comparison with other collating equipment, extremely inexpensive and simple lin construction making its use feasible in many instances where costs of presently availableequipment would be prohibitive, even if such equipment could effectively collate pre-folded sheets.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichl is a perspective view of a machine according to rates Patent 2 my invention and looking at the same from the front or operators side thereof.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view with the larger portion of the central length of the machine completely omitted and particularly illustrating the operation of the mechanism by which the pick-up carriage is reciprocated.

3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view illustrating the operation of the pick-up carriage, showing the same as having picked up one pre-folded sheet from one supply station and further illustrating the manner in which the uppermost pages of such sheets are held open so that the carriage may function.

Fig. 4 is a similar view but showing the carriage near the end of its working stroke carrying along a completed sequence of pre-folded sheets ready for stapling together.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional and rear elevational view of a reversing lever forming a part of the pick-up carriage.

Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged and fragmentary perspective view of the leading edge of the pick-up carriage and showing one of the staple clinching grooves in said leading edge.

As shown throughout the drawings, my invention is intended for collating pre-folded sheets of printed or mimcographed material, as designated generally at A, each of which sheets comprises a pair of pages B and C joined by a hight portion or center fold D. The purpose is .further to assemble these sheets together in the proper sequence (usually with a cover forming the outermost sheet) and then to perform automatically what is cornmonly referred to as a saddle stitching operation to hold the sheets together. Saddle stitching or actually saddle stapling the sheets is preferable for booklets or pamphlets since it permits the individual pages to be opened more readily and this is accomplished by clinching the staples directly through the folds D, by contrast. with so-called side stitching or stapling, in which case the staples are clinched through the edges of the pages immediately adjacent said folds as in the ordinary larger magazines for example.

The machine comprises a frame, designated generally at it), made up of suitably cross connected front and rear guideways 11 and l2 which are carried at their ends upon legs, designated throughout at 13. Suspended between the front and rear guideways 11 and 12, both of which have depending flanges 14, are a plurality of supply stations actually comprising hoppers of rectangular shape and open toward the front so that supplies of folded sheets A may be inserted thereinto. In the present machine these hoppers are designated at 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 2li and each comprises spaced vertical sides connected by bottoms, as clearly shown in Fig. l. Also each hopper comprises a false bottom or follower, indicated through out at 21, upon which the stacks of sheets A are placed and which false bottoms are biased in an upward direction by springs 22 in order to elevate the stacks of sheets so that the uppermost sheets at each station, regardless of the supply therein, will stand at about the same horizontal plane as sheets in adjacent stations.

The upper edges of the guideways l1 and l2 are formed with channels 23 which receive and guide rollers 24 rotatably mounted at the front and rear ends of a pick-up carriage, designated generally at 25, thus supporting said carriage for travel in a path across the upper ends of the supply stations 15-20. The carriage 25 consists of a flat center sheet 26 having end flanges 27 to which the rollers 2li are attached, as clearly shown.

The pick-up carriage 2S thus operatively supported is arranged for reciprocation back and forth across the upper ends of the supply stations i522@ For this purpose i' provide a suitable power source such as an electric motor 28 mounted upon a suitable bracket structure 29 at one end of the machine. This motor is connected by a pulley 30 and belt 31 to another pulley 32 at the rear of the machine and which is mounted upon a stub shaft 33 carried by one of a pair of inverted U- shaped end brackets 34, one of which is secured at each end of the machine. The front and rear legs 35 and 36 of said brackets 34 are bolted, as designated at 37, to the front and rear guideway flanges 14 or to the cross bracing which connects said flanges. At each end of the machine there are vertically spaced pairs of sprockets, designated respectively at 38 and 39, with one of said sprockets mounted upon the aforesaid stub shaft 33 to be rotated by the pulley 32. An elongated endless chain 40 is trained over the sprockets 38-39 so that an upper span or Hight 41 thereof, located at a level above the rear guideway 12, will travel toward the motor end of the machine, whereas the correspond ing lower span or flight 42 will travel in the opposite direction. This chain is utilized to reciprocate the carriage 25 by alternately engaging the upper and lower flights of the chain with the carriage, as will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 5 it will be seen that at the rear the carriage ange 27 is provided with a rearwardly extended and vertically slotted extension or block 43 and mounted through the slot 44 therein is a carriage operating lever 45 pivoted centrally upon a horizontal axis at 46. Normally this lever 45 is held in the vertical position in which it appears in Fig. 5, and

in which the upper end appears in Fig. l, and for this purpose the lever is yieldably engaged at opposite sides of its pivot 46 by plungers 47 slidably mounted in bores 48 in the aforesaid block 43. Said plungers are forced in opposite directions and into centering engagement with the lever by expansion coil springs 49 in the bores 48 which are held in place and adjusted by means of screws 50. When the lever 45 is in its vertical position its upper end projects immediately forward of the upper flight 41 of the chain 40 while its lower end similarly projects to a position immediately forward of the lower flight 42 of that chain. The chain is then provided on its forward side with a series of hooks, designated at 51, and the arrangement is thus such that as the upper flight 41 of the chain moves one of such hooks into engagement with the upper end of the lever 45 the chain will then carry along the pick-up carriage 25 in the direction of travel of the upper liight 4l. Such travel continues until the pick-up carriage 25 reaches the end of its working stroke which is in the direction of the motor end of the machine as here shown, at which point the lower end of the lever 45 will be engaged and swung from the vertical position in order to clear the hook on the upper flight of the chain, this being accomplished by a stop 52 at the rear of the machine as clearly seen in Fig. 2. As will be pointed out hereinafter the pickup carriage 25 is brought to a halt as it reaches the end of its working stroke by a stapling or stitching mechanisrn so that the lever 45 will be swung as necessary by the stop 52 to clear the hook upon the chain and when this occurs the centering springs 49 will reassert themselves to return the lever to its vertical position which will, of course, move the carriage a short distance in its return stroke direction. As the hook comes around to the` lower flight of the chain it will then engage the lower end of the lever 45 to travel the carriage 25 back to its starting position, at which point the carriage will be brought to a halt by the ends of the guideways 23 and another stop 53 at this end of the machine will engage the lever, swinging it to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, until the hook clears the lower end. Thus, although the chain 40 travels continuously in the one direction, it functions to alternately travel the pick-up carriage 25 in first one direction and then another.

When the folded sheets A are placed in the supply sta- 4 tions 15-20 their bights D face to the left, as viewed in Fig. l, and in order then for the carriage 25 to successively engage and carry these sheets along on its working stroke it is necessary that the uppermost page of each uppermost sheet be lifted above the level of the leading edge 54 of the carriage, For this purpose l provide a suction cup 55 for each supply station 1540, locating such cups at the lower ends of the vertical risers 56 which depend from an inverted U-shaped suction manifold 57. This manifold 57 extends lengthwise of the machine immediately beneath the upper ends 58 of the brackets 34, to which the manifold is connected by springs 59 which permit vertical movement of the manifold and its associated risers and suction cups. Each downwardly turned end 60 of the manifold 57 rides a cam 6l. carried upon a cam shaft 62, one of which at the motor end of the machine is here shown as a prolongation of the shaft of the motor 28. ln each case, of course, the cam shaft 62 will be rotatably mounted in stub bearing brackets, indicated at 63, and each lower end or extremity of the manifold is closed to atmosphere. The cam shaft 62 at the opposite ends of the machine are operated in unison by any suitable means such as a belt, a part of which appears at 64 in Fig. l. A vacuum pump 65 is provided upon the aforesaid bracket structure 29 and belted at 66 to the motor shaft to provide a source of vacuum for the suction cups 55, there being a suitable connection between this pump and the adjacent end 60 of the manifold 57 for this purpose with a part of said connection of flexible hose 67 in order to permit up and down travel of the manifold and suction cups. At one or both ends of the machine vertical travel of the manifold is further guided by means of a bracket arm 68 having a vertically slotted fork 69 which embraces the end 60 so that guide studs secured in said ends of the manifold are provided the necessary vertical play.

At what has heretofore been referred to as the motor end of the machine but which may more properly be called the delivery end thereof, a cross member 7i) joins the front and rear guide members 11 and 12 and secured thereto are two or more staplers "Il, the staple Y projecting ends 72 of which face in the direction of and are located in the same horizontal plane as the leading edge 54 of the piek-up carriage 25. As best seen in Fig. 6 this edge 54 is provided with a corresponding number of staple clinching grooves 73 and this stapling mechanism is very similar in its general operation to the ordinary hand stapler found in every office.

In operation it is assumed rst of all that the pick-up carriage is in the starting position of Fig. l and that there is a supply of the folded sheets A properly' located in each of the supply stations 15-20 or at least in such stations as the size of the booklet or pamplet to be collated requires. When the motor 28 is now set in operation the cams 61 will rst of all be rotated until their lows 74 are aligned with the lower ends of the manifold 57 whereupon the suction cups 55 will move downwardly into engagement with the uppermost pages of the sheets in the Various magazines. As the cams continue their travel their highs will then re-elevate the manifold 57 and the suction cups 55 will lift the uppermost pages of the sheets to about the position indicated in Fig. 3, having the effect of opening the pages and spreading them apart at their bights or folds D. In timed relation to this operation one of the hooks 51 will now engage the lever 45 and the pick-up carriage 25 will begin its working stroke, moving toward the delivery end of the machine at which the Staplers 71 are located. At such time the suction cups 65 are above the level of the carriage 25 and the leading edge 54 thereof will thus enter between the individual pages B and C of each folded sheet in succession, collating them in proper order, until the carriage has passed all of the supply stations. As the carriage reaches the end of its working stroke it will move wtih sufficient force at its leading edge 54 against the staplers 7l to cause the staples therein to pierce the folds D of the collated sheets and to clinch the staples by the action of the groove 73. In the manner hereinbefore described the carriage is then released at this point and started on its return stroke by the engagement of one of the hooks Sl with the lower end of the lever 45 ready for the next operation, it being, of course, understood that during both strokes of the carriage that the suction cups 55 will be held at an elevated position and out. of the way of the carriage.

Located at the delivery end of the machine is an accumulating station 75 similar in shape but considerably deeper than the supply stations -20 and open at its upper end but provided with spaced sides 76 and 77 joined by a bottom 78. As best seen in Fig. 4 there will be a tendency for the lowermost pages of the collated and stapled booklet or pamphlet to swing downwardly somewhat, of their own weight, and as the car riage starts its return stroke the edges, designated at E, of these pages of the collated booklet will strike the upper edge 77a of the accumulating station 75 so that this edge acts as a stripper `to strip the completed booklet from the carriage and allow the booklet to drop into the station 75 for accumulation and subsequent removal as the height of the stack requires.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that l have provided a machine which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction and which will automatically function to collate pre-folded booklet or pamphlet sheets in a proper numerical sequence and then to join the collated sheets by saddle stitching or saddle stapling process, with all of such operations carried out entirely automatically. Only one operator is required in order to keep the various supply stations properly supplied with the pre-folded sheets and to remove the completed booklets or pamphlets and thus no skilled help is at all neces` sary.

it is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A collator for gathering pre-folded sheets in a prei determined order and saddle stitching them together into completed booklets, pamphlets and the like, comprising a series of supply stations for the sheets, a pick-up carriage and means for reciprocating the same in succession past the said supply stations, one pre-folded sheet at a time from each station into position such that the leading edge of the carriage will pass between the individual pages of each sheet and engage the inside of the bight portion of the sheets in succession, a saddle stitching mechanism operative as the carriage reaches the end of its travel in one direction past the stations to saddle stitch the sheets together, and means for stripping the completed booklets from the carriage as the latter starts its return travel.

2. A collating machine for gathering pre-folded sheets in proper order and stapling them together saddle-wise through their bight portions and between their individual pages, comprising in combination, a plurality of supply stations for the pre-folded sheets, a pick-up carriage and mechanism supporting and reciprocating the same in a path past said stations in sequence, means at each station operating in timed relation to the travel of the carriage to move one pre-folded sheet from each station into the path of the leading edge of the carriage so that said carriage will move between the individual pages of said sheets and carry them along in proper order by engaging the inside of their bight portions, means for saddle stapling the gathered sheets together through their bright portions after the carriage passes all of said stations, and means for stripping the gathered and stapled means for moving sheets from the carriage as it reverses its direction of travel.

3. A collating machine for gathering pre-folded sheets in proper order and stapling them together, comprising in combination, a plurality of supply stations for the prefolded shets, a pick-up carriage and mechanisms supporting and reciprocating the same in a path past said stations in sequence, means at each station operating in timed relation to the travel of the carriage to move one pre-folded sheet from each station into the path of the leading edge of the carriage so that said carriage will move between the individual pages of said sheets and carry them along in proper order by engaging the inside of their bight portions, means for stapling the gathered sheets together through their bight portions after the car riage passes all of said stations, means for stripping the gathered and stapled sheets from the carriage as it reverses its directions of travel, and an accumulating station to receive the gathered and stapled sheets.

4. A collating machine for gathering pre-folded sheets in proper order and stapling them together through their bight portions and between their individual pages, cornprising in combination, a plurality of supply stations for the pre-folded sheets, a pick-up carriage and mechanism supporting and reciprocating the same in a path past said stations in sequence, means at each station open ating in timed relation to the travel of the carriage to move one pre-folded sheet from each station into the path of the leading edge of the carriage so that said carriage will move between the indivilual pages of said sheets and carry them along in proper order by engaging the inside of their bight portions, means for stapling the gathered sheets together through their bight portions after the carriage passes all of said stations, an accumulating station to receive the gathered and stapled sheets, and means for stripping the gathered and stapled sheets from the carriage to drop into said accumulating station when the carriage reverses its direction of travel.

5. A collating machine of the character described for collating and fastening together pre-folded sheets of printed material, comprising an elongated frame having a row of supply hoppers for containing stacks of the folded sheets in proper sequence, means for lifting and partially opening the individual pages of one sheet at a time from the hoppers, guide means forming part of the frame, a carriage reciprocatably mounted in said guide means and means operative when said sheets are lifted to move the carriage from a starting position through a working stroke past all of the said hoppers in succession whereby the leading edge of the carriage will enter between the pages of the lifted sheets and engage their folds to carry along the sheets in assembled relation, stapling mechanism at the end of the machine toward which the carriage travels in its working stroke and operative to staple the sheets together, said means also being operative to return the carriage to its starting position, and an accumulating station to receive the collated and stapled sheets.

6. A collating machine of the character described for collating and fastening together pre-folded sheets of printed material, comprising an elongated frame having a series of supply hoppers for containing stacks of the folded sheets in proper sequence, means for lifting and partially opening the individual pages of one sheet at a time from the hoppers, guide means forming part of the frame, a carriage reciprocatably mounted in said guide means and means operative when said sheets are lifted to move the carriage from a starting position through a working stroke past all of the said hoppers whereby the leading edge of the carriage will enter between the pages of the lifted sheets and engage their folds to carry along the sheets in assembled relation, stapling mechanism at the end of the machine toward which the carriage travels in its working stroke and operative to staple the sheets together, the leading edge of the carriage having grooves to engage and clinch the staples, and means to engage and strip the collated and stapled sheets from the carriage as it starts its return travel.

7. A collating machine of the character described for collating and fastening together pre-folded sheets of printed material, comprising an elongated frame having a series of supply hoppers for containing stacks of the folded sheets in proper sequence, means for lifting and partially opening the individual pages of one sheet at a time from the hoppers, guide means forming part of the frame, a carriage reciprocatably mounted in said guide means and means operative when said sheets are lifted to move the carriage from a starting position through a working stroke past all of the said hoppers whereby the leading edge of the carriage will enter between the pages of the lifted sheets and engage their folds to carry along the sheets in assembled relation, stapling mechanism at the end of the machine toward which the carriage travels in its working stroke and operative to staple the sheets together, the leading edge of the carriage having grooves to engage and clinch the staples, means to engage and strip the collated and stapled sheets from the carriage as it starts its return travel, the said sheet lifting means consisting of suction cups for engaging the sheets, means supporting the cups for up and down movement in timed relation to the travel of the carriage, and a vacuum source for said suction cups.

8. A collating machine of the character described for collating and fastening together pre-folded sheets of printed material, comprising an elongated frame having-a series of supply hoppers for containing stacks of the folded sheets in proper sequence, means for lifting and partially opening the individual pages of one sheet at a time from the hoppers, guide means forming part of the frame, a carriage reciprocatably mounted in said guide means and means operative when said sheets are lifted to move the carriage from a starting position through a working stroke past all of the said hoppers whereby the leading edge of the carriage will enter between the pages of the lifted sheets and engage their folds to carry along the sheets in assembled relation, stapling mechanism at the end of the machine toward which the carriage travels in its working stroke and operative to staple the sheets together, the leading edge of the carriage having grooves to engage and clinch the staples, means to engage and strip the collated and stapled sheets from the carriage as it starts its return travel, the said means for reciprocating the carriage consisting of an endless chain having reversely traveling upper and lower spans, means for operating the chain, a pivoted lever on the carriage extending at its upper and lower ends into proximity to the corresponding spans of the chain, means yieldably centering the lever in an upright position, at least one hook on the chain for engaging the upper end of the lever to move the carriage in one direction and then to engage the lower end of the lever to reverse the travel of the carriage, and separate stops on the frame to swing the lever so that its ends clear said hook as the carriage reaches the end of its travel in each direction.

9. A collating machine of the character described for collating and fastening together pre-folded sheets of printed material, comprising an elongated frame having a series of supply hoppers for containing stacks of the folded sheets in proper sequence, means for lifting and partially opening the individual pages of one sheet at a time from the hoppers, guide means forming part of the frame, a carriage reciprocatably mounted in said guide means and means operative when said sheets are lifted to move the carriage from a starting position through a working stroke past all of the said hoppers whereby the leading edge of the carriage will enter between the pages of the lifted sheets and engage their folds to carry along the sheets in assembled relation, stapling mechanism at the end of the machine toward which the carriage travels in its working stroke and operative to staple the sheets together, the leading edge of the carriage having grooves to engage and clinch the staples, means to engage and strip the collated and stapled sheets from the carriage as it starts its return travel, the said means for reciprocating the carriage consisting of an endless chain having reversely traveling upper and lower spans, means for operating the chain, a pivoted lever on the carriage extending at its upper and lower ends into proximity to the corresponding spans of the chain, means yieldably centering the lever in an upright position, at least one hook on the chain for engaging the upper end of the lever to move the carriage in one direction and then to engage the lower end of the lever to reverse the travel of the carriage, separate stops on the frame to swing the lever so that its ends clear said hook as the carriage reaches the end of its travel in each direction, and an accumulating station in the frame to receive the collated and stapled sheets.

l0. A collating machine of the character described for collating and fastening together pre-folded sheets of printed material, comprising an elongated frame having a series of supply hoppers for containing stacks of the folded sheets in proper sequence, means for lifting and partially opening the individual pages of one sheet at a time from the hoppers, guide means forming part of the frame, a carriage reciprocatably mounted in said guide means having a thin center sheet engaging portion and means operative when said sheets are lifted to move the carriage from a starting position through a working stroke past all of the said hoppers whereby the leading edge of the carriage will enter between the pages of the lifted sheets and engage their folds to carry along the sheets in assembled relation, stapling mechanism at the end of the machine toward which the carriage travels in its working stroke and operative to staple the sheets together, the leading edge of the carriage having grooves to engage and clinch the staples, and means to engage and strip the collated and stapled sheets from the carriage as it starts its return travel.

No references cited. 

